


Coming Out of the Closet and I'm Doing Just Fine

by titaniumsansa



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Bisexuality, Coming Out, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gay, Inspired by Music, Snaibsel, Snaibsel Pride 2017, Snaibselpride2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-11-18 08:06:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11287134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/titaniumsansa/pseuds/titaniumsansa
Summary: The first person Artemis comes out to is her mom. And then she comes out again. And again. It's not so bad.





	Coming Out of the Closet and I'm Doing Just Fine

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sunkelles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunkelles/gifts).



> I'm not even sorry for the Killers lyric title. If you really like the Killers you might notice "it's not so bad" like from the song Sam's Town. I really loved writing this, please let me know what you guys think of it!

The first person Artemis came out out to was her mom. She had nervous eyes and a twisted stomach when she did it, words spilling out. Paula had smiled and told her she still loved her, that she’d support her no matter what.

Artemis is pretty sure M’gann knows, she can read minds, after all. Still, Artemis has no plan to come out to the Team, or anyone else for a while. It’s just safe and she doesn’t know anything that personal about the others really.

* * *

The second time Artemis comes out is before a mission.

“Artemis, Miss Martian, Kaldur and Superboy, I have a mission for you,” Batman says as Wally enters the Cave.

“I need two people who are immune to Queen Bee and two who aren’t, for this mission,” Batman says. 

“Batman? Can I talk to you for a minute?” Artemis asks, trying to keep her voice calm and even, like she’s not worried at all.

“Can it wait?” Batman asks and she shakes her head.

“What’s the mission you guys are going on?” Artemis hears Wally ask as she follows Batman away from the others.

“I can’t go on this mission. I’m not immune to Queen Bee,” Artemis admits and Batman nods. Conner probably heard that with his superhearing, but Artemis doesn’t think he’ll spread it.

“Noted. Thank you for telling me, for the sake of the mission and yours,” Batman says. The idea of being controlled by someone else is terrifying but Artemis wonders if Batman’s going to keep that secret.

“I’d appreciate if you didn’t tell anyone. You’re the second person I’ve ever come out to and I-” Artemis trails off.

“I won’t tell anyone. Coming out is a personal choice, one everyone should make for themselves,” Batman says and Artemis gives him a relieved smile. Time to go back, the Team is waiting.

* * *

 

The third time Artemis comes out is an accident. Jade’s working with their dad and they’re on opposite sides nowadays, but a few minutes of conversation on a roof in Gotham won’t hurt either of them.

“Any cute boys on that team of yours? Or at school?” Jade asks and Artemis thinks of the guys on the team, they’re nice and cute. They’re not who she’s crushing on though.

“They’re cute, but I’m not into any of them,” Artemis says and Jade raises an eyebrow.

“You’re not into anyone? No cute crushes for me to tease you about?” Jade wiggles her eyebrows.

“I’ve got a crush on a girl,” Artemis blurts and covers her mouth with her hand. Her mom might have accepted her, but she has no idea what Jade’s thinking. Jade takes off her mask and Artemis looks into her eyes. Jade hugs her and Artemis freezes until her sister speaks again.

“Hope she likes you back. Girls are pretty cute,” Jade pulls back and winks.

“Wait do you-” Artemis begins.

“I like em too. Looks like we have a little more in common than we thought,” Jade says and Artemis feels herself relax, the muscles in her back were tight as a bowstring. 

“See you later, baby sis!” Jade says before she puts on the mask and disappears through the streets below.

Artemis wants to tell the Team, they work together, they almost die together, they’re the closest friends she has. They’re the closest friends she’s  _ ever _ had, actually. She knows exactly how Wally eats his nachos, exactly how Atlantis is laid out, that Robin listens to Phil Collins-she had  _ In the Air Tonight _ stuck in her head for  _ a week _ and she knows M’gann’s favorite episodes of  _ Hello Megan!  _ These people are her friends and closest confidants. 

Still, she talks to M’gann first. M’gann is like a sister to her and she’ll tell her if it’s a good idea. 

“Is something wrong?” M’gann asks immediately when Artemis asks if they can talk alone.

“No,” Artemis says and M’gann looks skeptical but leads Artemis to her room for privacy anyway.

“M’gann, I want to tell you something,” Artemis begins as they sit on her bed, neatly made.

“Yeah, go for it,” M’gann says.

“I like guys. But I also like girls,” Artemis says, looking at the posters on M’gann’s wall instead of at her friend.

“I know,” M’gann says quietly and Artemis turns to look at her.

“Wait, really?” Artemis asks, thinking she’s ever said anything, thought anything about it.

“You’ve checked out a few people on missions. I kind of assumed. And I kind of thought that was why you didn’t go on that mission to check on Queen Bee, not the Harjavti one, the recon one,” M’gann says and Artemis holds her breath.

“Oh,” Artemis says and waits.

“Humans are so weird about sexuality. I love you no matter what, Artemis,” M’gann says and Artemis gets tackled into a hug. M’gann always gives the best hugs.

“I think I want to come out to the Team. Do you think it’s a good idea?” Artemis asks. M’gann nods, her smile’s a flash of white teeth and green skin.

“I think it’s a great idea,” M’gann says and Artemis smiles. She’s never going to ever really stop  _ coming out,  _ but at least she’s getting better at it.

* * *

 

Coming out to the Team was easier than expected, M’gann made a cake that looks like it’s from a magazine. The icing is white and the different layers of cake make a rainbow, Artemis sees as she gets the first piece. 

“M’gann, you didn’t have to-” Artemis begins and M’gann waves her hand, dismissing whatever Artemis is about to say.

“I bake when I’m excited. I’m really glad this went well,” M’gann says and Wally rolls his eyes. A bite of purple cake and frosting fit on her fork and Artemis takes her first bite. It’s great, like all of M’gann’s baking is. The frosting is sweet and fluffy but it doesn’t overpower the cake. It’s perfect. 

“Yeah, like any of us could hate Artemis when we’ve all saved each others’ asses too many time to count,” Wally says and Artemis has to admit he has a point. Still, hate doesn’t listen to love or common sense, and that happens more often than it should.

“Language,” Kaldur says, looking over at Wally. Wally laughs and takes another bite of his cake.  Dick smiles at Artemis and she’s glad things worked out. Artemis hands Zatanna a slice of cake and their fingers touch for a moment. Artemis swears everyone can hear her heartbeat in those few seconds, but Zatanna’s fingers slide away from hers when she has the plate in her hand. M’gann hands Kaldur a plate and he thanks her quietly.

“Thanks,” Zatanna says, tucking hair behind her ear.

“Yeah,” Artemis says, aware she’s suddenly nervous. Wally moves in for a second piece of cake and M’gann deflects his hand. 

“Nuh-uh. Not everyone’s had cake yet,” M’gann says and Wally pouts, Robin laughs.

“Denied,” Robin quips and Artemis snorts. Life is good.

* * *

 

“Hey, can we talk?” Zatanna asks after a mission a few weeks later.

“Yeah, what’s up?” Artemis asks and Zatanna bites her lip.

“Can we talk in private?” Zatanna asks and Artemis nods. Artemis waves at Robin who’s headed back to Gotham for the night. Zatanna looks to him and then to Artemis, and keeps walking to her room. Artemis follows her to her room, the walk feels long and Zatanna looks tense. Maybe it’s about her dad-but then maybe she wouldn’t mind talking about it in front of the others. Zatanna’s room is simple and neat like always, and she’s careful to make sure the door’s shut.

“I’m not sure how to say this,” Zatanna says and Artemis considers her options.

“Just say what’s on your mind. Is everything okay?” Artemis asks, thinking of reaching for her hand but thinking better of it. 

“I’m gay. I think I like girls and boys, like you do,” Zatanna says.

“Am I the first person you’ve come out to?” Artemis asks and Zatanna nods.

“I mean unless M’gann and Conner count. Because I’m sure M’gann could see that with mind reading and all and I’ve been kind of nervous lately. M’gann picks up on that sort of thing and Conner can hear us right now, but yeah. You’re technically the first,” Zatanna says and Artemis does what her mom did, she goes in for a hug. Zatanna sinks into it and Artemis holds on until Zatanna moves. 

“Thank you. I kind of knew for a while, but you just came out and I guess that made me realize I needed to think about it and go for it too,” Zatanna says. 

“Glad I could help,” Artemis says, Zatanna’s smiling but her eyes are shiny with happy tears.

“Maybe we can talk about crushes sometime. It’s been forever since I’ve slept over at the Cave,” Artemis says and Zatanna nods. It has been a while, and it’s exciting to have someone over for the night, for her and M’gann to talk with.

* * *

 

Artemis would like to think she’s observant and good with details, but she knows she isn’t. At some point, she and Zatanna started holding hands and talking at odd hours, and they’re kind of like a couple. Artemis realizes at some point that neither of them are like that with M’gann but she brushes it off. Watching TV and eating brownies together is their  _ thing _ , like beating up bad guys is their thing when they don’t want to talk about feelings. Artemis was surprised when Zatanna asked if they could do that one day, but agreed anyway. Artemis wonders how many things are  _ theirs _ , if it’s a best friend thing or maybe if it’s a gay thing. She’s never had a girlfriend or a best friend before, so Artemis isn’t sure what it is, what she and Zatanna fall under. 

“I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go on a date?” Zatanna asks as they’re hanging out one day, fidgeting with the buttons on her sleeve.

“Hell yeah,” Artemis says, keenly aware that maybe that’s not the right response, but Zatanna smiles like Artemis just surprised her with her favorite ice cream.

“Great,” Zatanna says. The  _ hell yeah _ from Artemis is even better than the brownies they’re eating.

* * *

The thing that they realize as they start dating is that they never really  _ stop _ coming out. Strangers on the street ask if they’re friends, people in restaurants wonder if they’re sisters or related, and sometimes they just say it before people ask. It’s part of being gay and in a relationship, they discover. Artemis is pretty sure they’ll come out to people for the rest of their lives, and she hopes Zatanna’s with her forever, coming out and wearing flannel. Being in love with her best friend forever sounds like the best way to live life, and she’s excited about it.

It’s gonna be great.


End file.
